The Falmouth school nurses would like to thank the wonderful volunteers who contributed to Falmouth’s public health by assisting at our three successful flu clinics. We vaccinated over 1,000 students against the seasonal flu and over 1,400 students against H1N1. It was a true community effort involving parent volunteers, nurses, physicians, EMTs, teachers, and custodians […]

Portland has the only school system in Maine with four high schools: Portland High School, Deering High School, Casco Bay High School and Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS). Over the years, each school has developed its own schedule.  As a result, the schools differ in the length of class periods, how often classes […]

There’s a hole in the heart of Maine that isn’t likely to heal for a long time, left by the death Dec. 7 of Frank M. Coffin. Much has been said and written in the last week about Judge Coffin’s professional accomplishments – his achievements as a lawyer, politician and diplomat, and ultimately as one […]

According to a November Rasmussen Reports poll, 71 percent of Americans are to some degree angry with Washington. We know why conservatives are angry. They nearly destroyed the country and now, powerless and marginalized, they refuse to help fix it, preferring to sit on the sidelines cheering for America to fail. And liberals like myself […]

South Portland’s new mayor, Thomas Coward, threw a party last weekend to celebrate his inauguration. He invited his friends and supporters, and other city councilors. But he didn’t invite the press, and that was wrong. Here is part of the press release Coward distributed on Dec. 10 to reporters who cover the city: “I wanted […]

If folks in China and India and, heaven forbid, equatorial Africa, ever manage to achieve the American standard of living, the level of global pollution and depleted natural resources will be such that we all may have to don survival suits to enjoy the comforts of home. I foresee self-contained jumpsuits in which we are […]

This may seem presumptuous, but I believe Maine offers the nation some stark lessons when it comes to insurance reform. In 1991, Maine’s workers’ compensation insurance market had all but collapsed. Many employers ignored workplace safety while plaintiffs’ lawyers and unions were allowed to hijack the system for their own benefit. Maine employers were paying […]

I would like to thank Randy Billings for his outstanding reporting last week on my immigrant, refugee and international students at Southern Maine Community College. These young men and women are amazing, and they were thrilled to have a chance to tell their stories to a reporter. The article was thorough and captured the voice […]

I recently received an invitation to become one of 1,000 women “Rowing for Steve.” As much as I love to be on the water, this has nothing to do with boating. This has to do with joining a team supporting Steve Rowe’s run for governor. The first time I heard Steve Rowe speak he was […]

I read the Editor’s Notebook column about public officials in Topsham and South Portland snubbing the public’s right to know. I have no doubt that it’s true and what’s even scarier is that it is happening all across the United States at all levels of government. I contacted the president of the Maine Freedom of […]